


A Million Dreams

by OverlyObsessed223



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Ghosts, Good Sibling Ben Hargreeves, Kid Fic, Kid Klaus Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Protective Ben Hargreeves, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:47:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29212149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverlyObsessed223/pseuds/OverlyObsessed223
Summary: Ben comes up to the door, which is wide open, but he can’t see inside the room due to Luther’s large frame blocking the doorway. He sidesteps and phases through the wall to find Reginald, Pogo, and Grace all peering down into… is that a crib? Frowning, Ben approaches the crib—and gasps out loud.A tiny infant is lying in the crib, swaddled in a blanket, and fast asleep.“To be twenty-one years late is unacceptable,” Reginald states, before giving a small sigh. “But late is better than never, I suppose.”Klaus is over two decades late. This changes things.
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Grace Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Everyone, Klaus Hargreeves & Luther Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 59
Kudos: 312





	A Million Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Alright!
> 
> So! I am back with another kid Klaus fic. The last one I wrote, Don't You Think About Tomorrow, was very angsty, yes? Like, it was 80% angst, 20% fluff, if even that. Guys, when I wrote that I was living alone in a small isolated box eating lukewarm spaghetti-o's straight out of the can for each meal. It wasn't good. Things have, thankfully, changed, and I'm hoping this fic can be at least 50%/50% because I want it to be fun, damnit!
> 
> I wrote this up today for fun. I'm still working on my other fics, don't worry, but inspiration hits where it hits and I can't really control it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, because I had a really good time writing it!

Ben doesn’t notice it until he’s seven years old. 

In hindsight, it’s rather surprising it took him all of seven years to notice such a gaping, nonsensical irregularity. Once it’s brought to his attention, it’s all he can see, the glaring question that sits in his tiny mind for days on end. He’s afraid to ask because he’s always afraid to bring his father’s attention to him, but the question won’t go away no matter how he tries to make sense of such a thing. 

So he approaches Five. His brother is the most inquisitive of all Ben’s siblings, willing to do anything to find the answers he so desperately desires, and when Ben whispers his question into his ear his eyes go wide with ambition. It’s another puzzle for Five to solve, and he hits the ground running while chasing it. 

“Father,” Five begins during dinner. Heads whirl in his direction, the golden rule of silence during mealtime broken by their most fearless sibling. Ben’s heart leaps in his chest, worried he has led Five down a path that will get him in trouble. “Why is there no Number Four?”

The other five children sitting around the table all hold their breath, watching their father and waiting for him to say anything.

Dad grunts, placing his fork down next to his plate. 

“On the contrary, there is a Number Four,” Dad says. He gives the empty chair between Luther and Ben an annoyed glance. “Number Four is simply incredibly late. When he decides to join us, he will be integrated into the Umbrella Academy accordingly. Now, you know the rules, children—no more talking at the table!”

Their father goes back to listening to Herr Carlson, but as the voice drones on in the background, Ben looks at the empty chair next to him through curious eyes. Why is Number Four late, and when will he get here? He glances in the direction of the front door as if someone will bring in his new sibling at this exact moment. 

Number Four doesn’t show up that night, or the next. 

And so, the wait begins. The anticipation builds within siblings as the weeks pass by, the novelty of a new addition to the family creating tremendous excitement. They’re young children, so their imaginations begin to run wild as each one constructs a picture of their future brother in their mind. 

This would include the highly debated topic of what Number Four’s powers will be. 

“Maybe he’ll be able to fly, like Superman,” Luther suggests during one of their thirty minutes of free time.

“N-No way, t-that’s b-boring!” Diego argues. Ben rolls his eyes because his brothers always have to continuously one-up the other. “I b-bet he’ll b-be able to m-move things w-with his m-mind, like m-me!”

As far as Ben can tell, Dad doesn’t know exactly when Number Four will arrive—just that he’s going to come at some point down the line. Theoretically, this could mean Number Four could be here as soon as next week, and so small acts of preparation are made. In the empty room next to Vanya’s, piles of objects begin to appear, all the things the children want Number Four to have when he gets here. There are makeup and nail polishes from Allison, a few of Luther’s favorite records, and a growing stack of the books Ben has read and believes Four will enjoy.

One day, Ben enters the room just in time to see Five already in there, plopping down a few of his physics books he’s been feverishly reading and writing in.

“I’m gonna make sure Four isn’t dumb like Luther and Diego,” Five declares, and Ben is just touched he wasn’t included in that list. 

Diego begins pasting his favorite recipes he makes with Mom into a notebook, and Vanya writes him letters that nobody is allowed to read. 

The months turn into years, and Number Four still hasn’t arrived. Their excitement starts to taper off as time passes and life gets harder. Their father remains adamant that Number Four is on his way, but doubt begins to emerge within Ben and his siblings.

The Umbrella Academy goes on its first mission, and the five children take the world by storm. 

Suddenly, failures and mess-ups have dire consequences. They’re no longer training at home, but taking on real-world responsibilities, and the world is watching. People are at risk of dying, and death is the most permanent thing there is. 

Ben doesn’t feel like a superhero. When he lets the monster out of his stomach and kills all of those people, he doesn’t feel like he’s saving the world from anything. The heroes Ben reads about in his books find ways to save everyone, to minimize bloodshed as much as possible. When Ben goes on a mission and lifts his shirt, only to come out drenched in blood five minutes later, he feels like a villain, not a hero. It’s difficult for him to stand next to his siblings and pretend he’s like them because he knows deep down, he’s not. 

He’s a monster, plain and simple. 

“You are _not,”_ Vanya whispers to him one night as they huddle in the library, reading their respective novels. Dad is out of town this week, and Pogo is more than willing to turn a blind eye to slight rule breaks. “Your powers don’t define who you are, Ben.”

Ben swallows, glancing back down at his book, but he’s not taking in any of the words on the page. 

“What if Four doesn’t want to come here because he’s afraid of me?” Ben asks, feeling the tentacles in his stomach shift as he speaks. 

Vanya pauses, her eyes flicking to the camera in the corner of the room Five had broken mere hours ago.

“If Four is too afraid to come here,” Vanya says, “I don’t think it’s _you_ he’s afraid of.”

Ben still isn’t so sure. 

Two weeks later, Five runs away and doesn’t come back. It’s not a huge surprise—Five had been getting twitchier and more restless up until that fateful night, never able to slow down or put down a puzzle that could be too complicated and dangerous. Ben has to believe Five managed to time travel, and that he’s not dead in a ditch somewhere, lost and alone. 

Time marches on, and Five’s disappearance instills a feeling of dread within the remaining five siblings. They continue to go on missions under their father and Luther’s orders, but after Five running away, things are different, and way tenser. For the next three years, all they do is argue and fight.

For the first time in forever, Ben finds himself glad Number Four never showed up. Maybe he decided to go somewhere else and found a happier family where he can grow up safe and secure. Ben tries to pretend that doesn’t make him sad, because it _shouldn’t_ make him sad. 

And then.

Ben dies.

He _dies_ , and it isn’t quick or painless. He loses control over the Eldritch and they turn on him, craving more blood than Ben can find for them. They tear a hole inside him, and no matter how quickly his siblings try to get him home to Mom, he’s unable to be saved. 

He finds himself moving towards the light, but suddenly, he starts to panic. He can’t go towards the light, he can’t leave his family behind, _he’s not ready_. So instead, he moves away from it, fighting and pulling until he’s far away from it. 

Standing in the Academy, unable to be seen by anyone but the lady with the broken neck downstairs, he watches what was left of his family fall apart without him. 

“So what, you’re just going to—to leave?” Luther demands as Diego marches down the hallway, a duffle bag swung over his shoulder and his case of knives by his side. 

“What does it look like?” Diego snaps, turning to face Luther one last time. “Yes, of course, I’m getting the fuck out of here! Five’s gone, B-Ben—it’s over, Luther, so get over it!”

“This isn’t _over_ , Two,” Luther argues, and Ben watches as Diego’s face darkens at the use of his number. “What about Four, huh? He could get here any day now, you know.”

“There is no Number Four!” Diego exclaims, exasperated. “If there was, he would be here by now.”

“But Dad said—”

“Dad is batshit crazy,” Diego cuts Luther off. “He always has been. The old man has no idea what the hell he’s talking about, and it would do you a lot of good to realize that.”

But later, in the dead of night, Ben passes by the empty room and notices that the light is on. Phasing into the room, he finds Diego standing in the middle of the room, a brown rectangular box in his hands. Pulling out a knife Ben recognizes as his brother’s favorite, Diego places the knife into the box and snaps the lid shut, reaching up and setting the box onto an empty shelf high up on the wall. 

Diego leaves the Academy and doesn’t look back. Vanya goes to college, and Allison flies to California to begin her new career to chase the spotlight she craves. Luther remains the only member left of the Umbrella Academy, a fact their father doesn’t even seem to notice or care about. Five is still lost to the wind, and Ben is stuck. 

Life doesn’t do any of the Hargreeves any favors. Diego gets booted out of the police academy, becomes a vigilante, and gets his heart broken by one Eudora Patch. Luther can’t bring himself to leave his childhood home, destined to be forever trapped under his father’s thumb. Allison is living a life of lies and deception, and Vanya is stuck in the shadow of her past.

And all Ben can do is watch. 

It’s become almost unbearable to watch, and part of him begins to question why he stayed in the first place. He can do nothing but watch as his sibling's struggle, unable to help the people he loves most, incapable of his presence even being known by them. Perhaps, if he was to go into the light, he might see Number Five there—though, the thought of his brother being dead is sickening. 

Ben is existing in denial and hopelessness.

Then, on their twenty-first birthday, he feels it. 

There’s a tiny tug on his soul, and Ben has the urge to follow it. With one last glance at Diego eating raw eggs in his underwear, Ben phases out of the boiler room, the tugging getting stronger as he walks down the city streets. The moon is high in the sky, and the sidewalks are for the most part void of people, which is nice because Ben hates walking through people. 

The tugging leads him back to the Academy. The mansion is dark, as it has been ever since almost everyone cleared out of it years ago. He walks through the hallways of the soundless house, having yet to see Reginald, Grace, Pogo, or Luther, which, despite it being a large house, is rather strange. He climbs the staircase that leads to the hallway where their old rooms are, and when Ben gets to the landing, he freezes. 

The light to the empty room—the room that was supposed to belong to Four—is on for the first time in years. 

Ben comes up to the door, which is wide open, but he can’t see inside the room due to Luther’s large frame blocking the doorway. He sidesteps and phases through the wall to find Reginald, Pogo, and Grace all peering down into… is that a crib? Frowning, Ben approaches the crib—and gasps out loud. 

A tiny infant is lying in the crib, swaddled in a blanket, and fast asleep. 

“To be twenty-one years late is unacceptable,” Reginald states, before giving a small sigh. “But late is better than never, I suppose.”

“He is… one of them, sir?” Pogo questions tentatively, leaning on his cane as he gazes down into the crib. 

“Most definitely,” Reginald says, nodding curtly. 

“He is beautiful,” Grace whispers, love shining in her eyes. Ben isn’t sure he’s seen his mother smile like this in a long time, not after they all left. 

“ _Four_ ,” Ben chokes, unable to look away from the baby in front of him. 

It’s surreal, Ben thinks, that this day actually came. They’d waited for what felt like forever for Four to get here, so long that they’d all started to give up on hope. Perhaps they shouldn’t have doubted the word of their father, who it seems can see things others can’t through his monocle. 

There’s a part of him that feels happy to finally lay eyes on his very late brother, but it’s overshadowed by a strong sense of dread. Four’s life isn’t going to be easy, growing up in a house devoid of other children and with an abusive father. At least when Ben was growing up, he had his siblings to lean on. 

Four’s lashes flutter open, revealing his big brown eyes. He lets out a little yawn before looking up at the people surrounding his crib, his eyes bouncing from Luther, to Reginald, to Pogo, to Grace, and—this is crazy, but Ben swears Four’s eyes meet his own. Which is impossible, because Ben is dead, unseen by the living. 

But despite this, Four continues to gaze up right at Ben. 

A pleased look crosses over Reginald’s face. 

Eventually, everyone files out of Four’s room, Grace flipping the light off on her way out. Ben stays, standing over the crib, and watches Four’s chest rise and fall. For not the first time in his death, Ben wishes he was alive, so he could properly protect his new little brother—but how could he protect a baby when he couldn’t even keep himself alive?

Over the next year, Ben finds himself visiting the Academy more and more. Four, despite his arguably lonely predicament, is a happy child and is well-loved by their mother, who doesn’t have to split her attention between multiple children anymore. He’s healthy and growing perfectly, which relieves Ben to no end. 

Sometimes, Ben swears Four is looking right at him. 

A few days after Four turns one, and the others turn twenty-two (Ben will remain sixteen, forever and always), Ben pays him yet another visit. He finds Four sitting up in his crib, hugging his stuffed unicorn that Luther brought him some time ago. The room still has the piles of stuff Ben and the others left for him all those years ago, but the objects are no longer collecting dust since Grace is constantly cleaning Four’s room. 

“Hey, Four,” Ben greets the baby softly, leaning against the railing of the crib. 

Four lifts his eyes from the unicorn to look at Ben, and Ben feels a stab of hope flurry through him. 

“I hope Mom gives you a name soon,” Ben says. “You’re more than just a number. We all are.”

The stuffed animal slips from Four’s tiny hands, but he doesn’t seem to notice or pay its absence from his arms any mind. Instead, he reaches up and makes grabby hands in Ben’s direction. Startled, Ben turns to check and see if someone is behind him, and is rather perplexed when he finds nobody is there. 

“I—” Ben fumbles, turning back to the crib, where Four’s hands are still stretched out towards him. “No way. Can—can you _see_ me?”

The features of Four’s face twist in frustration and Ben is completely lost. 

“Four, I can’t—I can’t touch you, I’m not—” Ben’s heart shatters when Four looks like he’s about to burst into tears. “I’m sorry, I really am, I—”

Ben’s apologies are cut off by Four letting out a loud cry, and suddenly, his tiny fists begin to glow blue. The light is the same color blue as Five’s powers, and the similarity is so strong Ben stumbles backward. Then, he glances down at his own hands and realizes he’s glowing blue, too. 

With eyes as wide as saucers, Ben reaches down into the crib and touches—actually touches—Four’s hand.

So, apparently, Four can see and interact with the dead. 

Well, that’s convenient. 

Except, when it's not. As Four gets older, the ghosts around the house begin to also come to the realization that Four can see them, and the result isn’t pretty. They follow him around, whisper to him, and at times, scream and yell, which, expectedly, causes Four to cry. This angers Ben pretty quickly, and for the first time since he died, he lifts his shirt and lets the eldritch loose. The tentacles slam into the nearest, ugliest ghosts, and the rest of the spirits back up fast after seeing that. 

The tentacles retract, and Ben nervously turns to see if Four is upset from seeing his powers in action. After all, he’s never shown Four what he can do for fear of scaring the boy. The last thing he wants to do is look like the other ghosts who terrify Four, but when he looks at Four, he’s surprised to see him grinning from ear to ear

“You saved me!” Four exclaims, and in a burst of blue light, his arms are wrapped around Ben’s legs. “Thanks, Ben!”

“Yeah,” Ben breathes, running his fingers through Four’s messy brown curls. “Always, buddy.”

Maybe Ben isn’t a conventional superhero, but the shining admiration in Four’s eyes makes him feel pretty damn good. 

When Four is four years old, Luther goes on a mission and comes back horribly injured. Though Four isn’t as close with Luther as he is with Ben, Luther is a good big brother, at least from a distance. Ben thinks Luther is afraid to get too close to him, in fear Four will leave him just as the others did. As it turns out, it ironically ends up happening the other way around when Luther goes on his moon mission and doesn’t come back for years. 

“What are you doing, bud?” Ben asks when he phases into Four’s room—he hates calling his brother a number, so he uses nicknames instead. Four is sitting next to his window, a pair of binoculars in his small hands pressed to his eyes. 

“I’m looking for Luther,” Four answers, pulling the binoculars away from his face for a moment to glance at Ben, looking slightly disappointed. “But I can’t find him.”

“Just because you can’t see him doesn’t mean he’s not there,” Ben says, sitting down next to his little brother. He pokes Four, his finger going through skin, and the small boy giggles. “You know, I bet he’s looking for you, too, but he can’t see you because you’re too small.”

Understanding washes over Four’s face, and he puts the binoculars back to his eyes, continuing the search. 

When Four is five years old, Mom finally gives him a name. 

“Klaus, Klaus, Klaus, Klaus, Klaus,” Klaus repeats, practically bouncing off the walls in his excitement. He gives Mom a big hug, wrapping his small arms around her skirt. “I love it!”

Mom beams. 

Ben loves Klaus’ new name too, and he glares at each of the ghosts in their near vicinity, daring any of them to say it. 

Reginald is less than pleased with Klaus’ fear of the ghosts, and with that, the mausoleum trips begin. Ben shakes with rage the first time Klaus is thrown in there, where the ghosts are ruthless and filled with hatred. Ben tries to shield his little brother from the horrible spirits, but they aren’t as afraid of him as the ghosts back at the Academy, and so try as he might he can’t stop them from yelling and making Klaus cry. 

So, Ben does his best to distract him. 

He tells the tales of the adventures of the Umbrella Academy, from Eiffel tower rescues to bank hostage situations. Klaus, captivated by the stories, listens intently as Ben describes each mission from beginning to end. Sure, he’s embellishing a tad, but clearly, the others aren’t here to correct him so what’s the harm?

Ben tells Klaus about Luther, the brave leader who led them into battle, about Diego, the ambitious knife-wielder who never missed his mark, and about Allison, the talented actress who had a way with words. He spins tales of Number Five, the smart and cunning boy genius who could be anywhere he wanted in a blink of an eye, and of course, he also talks about Vanya, their sweet, shy sister who plays the violin beautifully. He purposely leaves out most about himself, not exactly wanting to brag about his tentacles ripping multiple people limb from limb—the goal is to _not_ traumatize the kid. 

“Ben? Where is the Umbrella Academy now?” Klaus questions innocently, his eyes wide and curious. “Will I ever get to meet them? Do you think they’ll come to visit us, soon?”

Ben falters, giving his little brother a weak smile. 

Because, what he doesn’t tell Klaus, is that the Umbrella Academy fell apart, and it’s not looking like they’ll ever try to be a family again. He doesn’t tell Klaus about Vanya’s book that was released just weeks ago, burning every bridge between siblings and making Diego so furious that the fury is devouring him whole. He doesn’t tell Klaus about how nobody in their family has heard from Allison since she left as she tries to shed her child superhero roots, and he doesn’t tell Klaus about Five, who ran away at a young age and never returned. 

“I don’t know, Klaus,” Ben says honestly, eyes sad, and Klaus’ smile dims. “Maybe, one day, but it might be a long time until that happens.”

“Oh,” Klaus nods in understanding. “Well, I can wait until then.”

Ben thinks back to when the six of them were children placing objects in an empty bedroom, dreaming about when that bedroom light would finally turn on. 

“Me too,” Ben agrees.

And so, together, they wait. Under Reginald’s sharp, cold glare, Klaus continues to grow in an empty home, skipping through hallways that used to house half a dozen children. With only one child in the house, Reginald can focus on Klaus alone, and his powers begin to develop and grow with him. 

Though Reginald is still ambitious in his quest to complete whatever goal he has in mind, he is clearly exhausted from having to parent another small child for a second time. Klaus, ever a smart cookie, recognizes this and is constantly pushing his father’s limits. He almost reminds Ben of a young Five before he ran away, with the only difference between the two of them is that while Five was arrogant and stubborn, Klaus is mischievous but sweet. 

For the first time in a long time, Ben finally has a purpose. He keeps his little brother company and shields him from the ghosts who take interest in him, and in return, Ben finally has someone to talk to. Someone to dream with. 

Sure, Klaus was over two decades late, a fact their father is none too happy about.

But for Ben, he was well worth the wait. 

**Author's Note:**

> Gotta comment? i'd love to read what you think of this so far. 
> 
> Either way, see ya lovelies later! :)


End file.
